Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The public knows who’s telling the truth and who’s telling a lie.
This was the response of President Benigno Aquino III to the combative speech that Vice President Jejomar Binay delivered, calling the Aquino administration “manhid” and “palpak” — that is, insensitive and incompetent.
Related: VP Binay speaks up after Cabinet resignation, slams Aquino administration
The president made the statement on Thursday (June 25) on the sidelines of the opening ceremonies of the Livestock Philippines 2015 Expo and Conference, which was held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Aquino pointed out he treated Binay well as part of the official family — and this is what he got in return.
He said the record would support his case that he gave Binay all the opportunities, as a vice president, not to be a spare tire.
Aquino said he and Binay had come a long way. But he was aware of the reality that this was all about politics.
He said the thought crossed his mind that Binay did this after not getting his endorsement.
Binay, he said, must have realized he would need to prove he wouldn’t need the president’s endorsement — and that he could do better things than him.
At the end of the day, the president said, he was more focused on maximizing opportunities to help the Filipino public and run the country.
It’s not his primary function, he added, to meddle in political issues, especially in connection with the 2016 elections.
President Aquino appeared disappointed when he faced the media, but he managed to smile.
After he got Binay’s resignation letter, Aquino said he asked the vice president what the issue was behind his quitting.
“Hindi niya ako masagot [He couldn’t answer me],” Aquino said.
He added: “After ng statement niya kahapon tila marami siyang kinikimkim na mga sikreto para magpaganda sa pakpapatakbo ang bansang ito. Palagay ko may obligasyon siya na miyembro siya ng Gabinete na binahagi niya Ito.”
[Translation: “After his statement yesterday, it became apparent that he’s been holding back many secrets on how to improve the management of this country. I think he had the obligation as member of the Cabinet to share them.]
Aquino siad he and his Cabinet would answer point by point all the accusations made by Binay.
Belated complaints
In a statement emailed to CNN Philippines, Sen. Francis Escudero, who ran as an independent for his current term, said Binay’s speech would not help his presidential ambition at all.
“That is an expected move on the part of the vice president,” Escudero said. “However, I don’t think attacking the administration, of which he has been a part of for five years, will boost his chances in his presidential bid.”
He added: “As I have said in reaction to his resignation, he probably did it because he had plans of hitting the PNoy administration. I am just wondering why after a long period of silence, when all of those things he was complaining about were happening, he all of a sudden complains about these things belatedly.”
At the House, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. texted his reaction, saying: “Well, if he felt that way, why did it take him five years to resign?”
In another statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares also wondered why it took Binay so long to decide to resign.
On the other hand, he said, the vice president would now be free to criticize the administration.
He also suggested that Binay, having been a Palace insider, could divulge any “anti-people” dealings in the Cabinet.
“We don’t know what he knows and if he’s willing to divulge what he knows,” Colmenares said.
‘Ingrate’
A day earlier, shortly after the vice president’s speech, Rep. Edgar Erice, a Liberal Party member like the president, called Binay “walang utang na loob” and a “master trapo politician” — that is, an ingrate and master traditional politician.
In a statement emailed to CNN Philippines, he said the speech made no sense at all, discussing issues that were no longer new to the public.
Binay, he said, should have resigned much earlier. Instead, he stayed on as a Cabinet member for five years, using government resources to advance his political ambition.
